The FFCRA provides small and midsize employers refundable tax credits that reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing paid sick and family leave wages to their employees for leave related to COVID-19. For a more detailed overview of these tax credits, click here. For basic FAQ’s, click here.

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

On March 25, 2020, the Senate passed the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act unanimously (96-0). The House passed the CARES Act on Friday, March 27, 2020 by a vote of 419-6 and the legislation was immediately signed into law by President Trump. The CARES Act is the third economic stimulus package passed by Congress in response to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) and its size and scope makes it the largest stimulus package in U.S. History.Click here for a summary of key provisions

Senate Passes Legislation for Additional COVID-19 Funding for Small BusinessesOn Tuesday, April 21, 2020, the Senate passed H.R. 266, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, to provide $484 billion in COVID-19 aide small businesses, hospitals and to expand testing.

OSHA Updated Guidance on COVID-19 RecordkeepingOn March 23, 2020, the Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC) wrote a letter to OSHA expressing its concerns with the Agency’s position on the recordability of COVID-19 cases and the flexibility of respiratory protection. In response to the CISC’s letter, OSHA issued a memo on April 10, 2020, updating its guidance on recording COVID-19 cases as a recordable illness. OSHA WILL NOT ENFORCE their COVID-19 recordkeeping requirements until further notice except where:

OSHA Enforcement Guidance for Respiratory Protection and the N95 Shortage Due to COVID-19The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued interim enforcement guidance to help combat supply shortages of disposable N95 filtering facepiece respirators (N95 FFRs). The action marks the department’s latest step to ensure the availability of respirators and follows President Donald J. Trump’s Memorandum on Making General Use Respirators Available. Click here to view the guidance.